PCMCIA USB 2.0 question

[PTCvette]

Hey everyone... I just got a deal on a USB CDRW, and it's USB2.0, which is great, but the laptop is USB1. The question is, I am looking at getting a PCMCIA card to take advantage of USB2.0's crazy speed, but every one I see has a power adapter and a hookup on the card just for that. Do you have to use the power adapter to get the card to work, or is that just so it dosen't suck all the juice out of the computer when you are on battery?

It seems kinda pointless to have a freaking portable computer if I have to hook up at least 2 different power cables just to burn a CD, so I may not even mess with it and just suffer with USB1 if that is the case!

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[DaTT]

I can only "assume" that seeing as it is for a portable computer, you wouldn't need the extra power cable. Thats just my assumtpion. Contact the manufacturer and ask them.

 

[bacillus]

you don't need to use the external adapter for the card to work if you use low current draw usb devices.

 

[Mingon]

the lead is probably just for bus powered devices

 

[PTCvette]

I thought about the same things, but was worried that the 48x12 CDRW might need the power, but it does have its own power supply and everything, so that would make me think it dosen't need much of the USB card's power too.

Anyone out there actually have one of these cards and knows for sure that do/don't need the external power to run the thing?

Thanks again,
Jeff

 

[ganesha]

I use one of these multiple times a week to back up data for users I support. Much faster than before I got it, the majority of people I support have on average 1-1.5 gig .pst files.

 

[PTCvette]

Thanks, Ganesha!

Sent you a PM about the card you're using...

Jeff

 

[Electrode]

If the device has a power adapter of its own, you don't need to use the USB 2.0 card's adapter. I have used a scanner and a hard drive with my laptop's USB 2.0 PCMCIA card successfully without using the card's power adapter.